European Imperialism in Africa

Devastation of Racism

1

Causes for European Imperialism• Industrialization

• Ethnocentrism/ Racism

• Technology

• Europeans needed raw materials for their factories• Europeans needed new markets for their goods

• Europeans believed they were superior to all other cultures

• Europeans believed God wanted them to rule the world

• New technology allowed Europeans to explore the harsher environments in Africa & Asia

• Superior technology allowed Europeans to easily conquer most African & Asian civilizations

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2

Scramble for Africa• Beginnings

• Organization is the key to power

• American newspaper reporter was sent to find Scottish missionary David Livingstone, his reports sparked the interest of the “Western World”

• European nations began claiming territory

• European nations decided to be “civilized”• Berlin Conference from 1884-85 divided the

continent of Africa among the European nations• Europeans did not consider cultural boundaries nor

native African governments• By 1914 only Ethiopia & Liberia were independent

nations

3

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South Africa• The Dutch

• The British

• Zulus

• Dutch traders established an outpost in the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, called Cape Colony

• Dutch farmers or Boers (Afrikaners)settled and established large farms

• The British took over the Cape Colony in the 1800s• Disagreements over land & slave policies

developed• Boers moved north on the Great Trek• Zulus, native Africans, had a strong nation state in

northern South Africa• Shaka used his well disciplined army to fight off the

Europeans• Later leaders could not hold out

4

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Boer War• Gold &

Diamonds

• 1st “Total” War

• Discovery of gold & diamonds after 1860 led to a flood of immigrants from all over the world

• The Boers did not want to give up any political power, they blamed the British for an attempted rebellion

• War between the Boers & the British began in 1899

• Boers used “guerilla” raids against the British• British burned Boer farms, and imprisoned women

& children• Black Africans also fought in the war, over 14,000

died from disease & starvation in British concentration camps

5

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Forms of Imperialism

• Colony

• Protectorate

• Sphere of Influence

• Economic Imperialism

• European country took direct control and established a government

• Native government remained but all outside contact went through a European country

• European country had exclusive trading & investment rights, native government maintained control

• Native government is influenced by private businesses instead of a foreign government

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Forms of Control• Indirect

• Direct

• Method preferred by US & Britain, used local leaders to deal with day to day government issues

• European leaders were sent to colonies to control every aspect of the government

• Paternalism-European policy that believed natives had to be taught like children

• Assimilation-Europeans enforced the adoption of their culture, weakening the native culture

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Resistance

• Unsuccessful Resistance

• Successful Resistance

• Leaders that used just military or religious resistance usually failed; for example Mandingo leader Samori Touré’s fight against the French

• Leaders that used diplomacy with military strength maintained independence

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Legacy

• Negative Effects

• Positive Effects

• Loss of control, independence, & population

• Loss of traditional culture, family structure fell apart as families were separated

• Division of the continent-political boundaries DO NOT reflect cultural boundaries

• Reduced local warfare as long as Europeans were in power

• Increased life span & literacy• Built infrastructure• Incorporation into global economy

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